By Jade Lawton
EVERY Tuesday morning, Leslie Porter pulls on her gumboots and meets a group of six kids down at her shed, a meeting place crowded with chairs, art-work and the occasional cobweb.
From this shed on her Chum Creek property, Leslie runs the Good Life program, a course that changes the lives of young people and has fulfilled a life-long dream for Leslie.
The program aims to help kids between the ages of 10 and 17 re-engage with school and society.
The young people learn relaxation techniques, animal husbandry, carpentry and cooking skills, in a relaxed and caring environment.
Through these activities, the participants have fun and develop skills in team building, communication, and self-sustainability.
Leslie, who holds a Certificate IV in Youth Work, began the program three years ago.
“It was a life dream I suppose; I love kids and I love animals; they are both better company than most adults,” she said.
Groups spend one day a week on the farm for 10 weeks. Each week a new team leader who is chosen allocates farm chores such as feeding of the geese, chickens, turkeys, pigs, horses and cows.
After the general chores, the kids will participate in a wide range of activities, such as arts and crafts, horse-riding, fishing and camping.
They are also able to use the labyrinth, an ancient meditational walking path that Leslie built in 2001.
The course also explores permaculture, a farming style that Leslie describes as “earth care, people care, and fair share”.
The kids learn about the layers and cycles of the farm, and are encouraged to reflect on sustainability and waste as they tuck in to a lunch of home-made bread or bacon from one of the farm’s own piglets.
Despite a wide range of kids who participate in the program, Leslie rejects labels and maintains that the program is the same for everyone.
“The basic program’s the same – it’s not a school based program, it’s hands on,” she said.
At the end of the program, participants receive a certificate to demonstrate the skills they have learnt on the farm.
As well as exposing kids to a wide range of skills that are not always learnt at school, Leslie says the farm offers a quiet space where kids can relax, away from whatever may be happening at school or at home.
“Here kids are not allowed to be bullied, they are allowed to be themselves,” she said.
The Good Life farm receives no government funding, and Leslie, who also works as a respite carer, has received no recognition for her work.
Despite these obstacles, the program has given many of its graduates a renewed enthusiasm for school.
“We have a high success rate with kids re-engaging in school and life, without the use of any drugs,” Leslie said.
